Pujya Ramsukhdasji Maharaj

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What Binds the Soul? The Spirit? Part - 2

 

The Soul, the Spirit assumes its affinity with the body in two ways -

 

1) From feeling of oneness " I " , the spirit assumes it is one with

the body, and starts to see that " I am the body " i.e. with a sense

of egoism

 

2) From feeling of separateness " Mine-ness " , the spirit assumes the

body belongs to it, by which he begins to see the " the body is mine "

i.e. with a sense of mine-ness.

 

Thus the Spirit (soul) by assuming an association through " Me "

oneness, he considers himself the body, which is called " sense of

egoism " (ahamtaa) and by assuming a relation through a feeling of

separation, the Spirit considers the body as belonging to him

(mamtaa). In this manner by establishing a relationship with the

body, the three modes of nature, through their natural tendencies,

firmly bind the spirit into the body consciousness and solidifies

the sense of egoism and mineness.

 

Just like when a man marries, he establishes a relationship with the

wife's entire family and begins to regard the necessities of his

wife, as his own. Similarly, the Spirit (Self) having assumed its

affinity with the body (I and mine-ness), regards the necessities of

the body and all that is needed for living, as his own necessities.

Further, assuming the relationship with the perishable body, the

Spirit desires for the body to live eternally, because the Spirit

itself is eternal. Also, due to the assumed relationship with the

body, the Self begins to fear death, because the body is perishable

and will die.

 

If there is was no assumed relationship with the body, then neither

will there be a desire to live forever, nor will there be a fear of

death. Therefore it can be understood that as long as there is

desire to live forever, or as long as there is fear of death, till

that time, the spirit is bound by the gunas (modes of nature).

 

The spirit is uniform and imperishable, while the body is

perishable, constantly changing and decaying every moment. So, if a

spiritual aspirant, does not attach importance to what is decaying

and perishing, he will automatically realize the imperishable and

transcendental Self.

 

Further elaboration on the same point is that the three modes

(sattva, rajas and tamas) are only in nature (prakriti). But when a

man (Spirit, Self) assumes his relation with the body (I and mine-

ness), then modes (gunas) bind the imperishable Self to the

perishable body. i.e. I am the body and the body is mine. This deep

identification with the body (sense of egoism and mineness) takes

place. The point is that all modifications emanate by having

affinity with nature. In the Self, there is no modifications at all -

" asango hyayam purusah " (Brhadaaranyaka 4:3:15), " dehe'sminpurusah

parah " (Gita 13:22). It is because of these modifications, that

birth and death takes place.

 

In reality, in fact the modes (gunas) do not bind the Spirit (Self),

but this Self assuming a relation to the modes (gunas) getss bound

(Gita 13:21). If the modes (gunas), were capable of binding the

Self, then till the gunas persisted, a person could never be

liberated from those gunas, i.e. he could never attain salvation.